Tallow Candles: Tallow candles are made by rendering fat from beef. Pork fat when cooked down slowly becomes lard, beef fat when done the say way becomes tallow. This then can be added to a mold with a wick and will harden to create a candle. The problem with tallow is this... It smokes and it stinks! It is very hard to be thinking about say.... a healing rite when all you want to do is get your nose as far away from the candle's smell as you can. It is a natural candle and some witches enjoy using it, so if you would like to try to make a tallow candle by all means try it out.
Paraffin Wax Candle: Paraffin is the most common candle. It is melted down in a double boiler and then added to a mold in which a wick has been added. Although I do use paraffin wax from time to time because I like to work as close to an all natural candle as I can I use 50% paraffin wax to 50% all natural bees wax.
Bees Wax Candle: This is my favorite way of making candles and I think the easiest. There is no need for heating the wax if you choose not to. And when adding other ingredients like oils, herbs and talismans or amulets, bees wax could not be easier.
Melting Wax: To melt wax is simple. Place a double boiler (you can make this from an old pan with water in it and a coffee can set into the pan of water) on the stove at medium heat. Watch that the wax melts slowly and watch for signs of the wax beginning to smoke. This is a sign that wax is getting too hot. You only want it hot enough to just melt the wax completely not cook it.
Molds: Molds can be made of anything that will not leak and allow you to take out your candle easily. I have used items such as a toilet paper roll with tin foil taped to the end of it, oatmeal boxes, paper milk cartons all of these make it easy to remove your candle from them since all you need do is peal the paper away one the candle has harden. Another way of making candles is to take a box of wet sand and then making an impression into it.. When the wax has melted, pour it into the wet sand mold you have created then simply dig out your candle once the wax has harden.
Adding Color: I have found the easiest way and the least expensive is to use inexpensive children's crayons. Choose the color you want, strip off the paper from the crayon and add the color before you poor the wax into the mold. Save a small amount of this wax to use for shrinkage. Shrinkage will usually occur around the wick of the candle. A dent or well will usually appear around the wick as it dries and hardens and you will want to fill this in later.
Adding Herbs, Oils, Talismans or Amulets: When it comes to paraffin wax add your herbs little by little in layers. Herbs like to settle to the bottom of the wax. Therefore if you want the herbs to be throughout your candle, pour a small amount of wax and sprinkle your herbs in with it. Once hard add another layer of wax and herbs until you have reached the top of your mold. Talismans and Amulets are added to the wax in the same way. Oils are different. The wax should be allowed to cool down until it is "just"at liquid form and "right before" you pour the wax into the mold. Oils evaporate in heat "very quickly" so you must work quick and at the lowest melting temperature you can work with.
Bee's Wax Candles. Most bee's wax come in sheets of wax now days. This makes for simple candle making. For Long tapered candles simply start at the long end of the sheet and begin wrapping the wick with the wax. Continue to roll the wax until the end of the sheet. If you want to add herbs or oils you may do so as you roll the wax. If you want a votive candle cut the wax sheet in half. Bees Wax is my favorite because I do not have to worry about the heat evaporating the oils I use nor do I worry about settlement of herbs as the wax cools because heat is not needed to create a bee's wax candle. Almost all bee's wax sheets now days come colored already so there is no need for coloring either.
Just remember while you are making your candles no matter what wax you are using, keep in mind the purpose in which you are making the candle and empower it with your magick. Once the candle is used in your magick, let it burn all the way down or snuff it out with a snuffer. You do not want to ever blow your candles out as it is thought to blow away the spell you are intending to do. Then take what is left of your candle outside and bury it and let Mother Earth do the rest. Blessed be!